Dear Grandmothers,
When I was 8 years old, I had an entrepreneurial idea that I found exciting. I wanted to order a greeting card catalogue from the back of a comic book and go door to door taking orders. My father was in his last year of university and commuted every day to school, while my mother managed all our home affairs and most of his work. All she said to me in response to my pitch was that most things advertised in comic books weren’t what they seemed. She didn’t suggest an alternative product or ask if I needed money. The discussion stopped and I didn’t want to add to her stress. I shrugged and walked away.
In contrast, my husband as a youngster could never have let one of his ideas go dormant. He would have ordered the catalogue and started knocking on doors. Clearly his entrepreneurial drive was stronger than mine. There are some spirited youngsters who thrive on the feeling of independence that comes with making their own way.
As grandmothers we can be an extra pair of ears to listen to the musings of our grandchildren. I find that children with entrepreneurial tendencies tend to blossom somewhere during the ages of 7 through 9. We have had the pleasure of hearing the stories of 15 adult entrepreneurs during a decade and a half of presenting the Haddock Entrepreneurial Speaker Series. Most of these successful entrepreneurs had childhood businesses.
Today, I need you to send out the Get a Bigger Wagon Young Entrepreneur Awards (GABWYEA) contest information to everyone you know in Saskatchewan. There are many youngsters who don’t realize that making lemonade and selling it or shovelling snow for money is having a business. Our applicants meet other entrepreneurial children, a wide variety of business owners, and become familiar with the university. These benefits are even more important than the cash prizes we offer.
There is one month left in our 2022 GABWYEA competition. My email address is on the poster, below. Applicants must contact me by email for application forms. This year we celebrate our fifth GABWYEA competition. Winners from all five years will be commemorated in the new Get a Bigger Wagon comic. Last year we commemorated 15 years of Haddock Entrepreneurial Speakers in Volumne 1, Issue 2.
I believe that grandmothers can spread the word faster than Facebook. I appreciate your help. Email me anytime with questions about this program.
With Admiration and Gratitude,
Maureen
3 Responses
I might know a few little tykes that have some potential in this area!!
Good luck. It is amazing how you keep that childhood spirit alive STILL. I am in awe of you.
“Grow old but never grow up!”